Girls living in some towns and cities in northern England have poorer prospects than those living in other parts of the country, according to a new study.
The research, carried out by Plan International UK, ranked Middlesbrough in North Yorkshire as the worst place for girls to grow up in, with Blackpool, Manchester and Nottingham coming in behind.
"People think we have equal rights and that we're equal to men, but we're just not," said Emma, one of the girls interviewed in the study, who said she had faced sexual harassment and online bullying.
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"There's so much stuff that happens to girls that's just not known about. Someone needs to say something. There needs to be some sort of voice that represents us."
The campaign group used indicators including child poverty, female life expectancy, teenage pregnancy, GCSE grades and whether girls were in education, employment or training.
"Our research found that overall the UK is failing girls," said manager and lead author Lucy Russell. "It's clear that despite being one of the richest, most developed countries in the world, girls don't have equal rights and equal life chances across the UK."
The ten best places for girls to live in include Waverley, Epsom and Ewell, and Elmbridge – all towns in Surrey.
"It is encouraging to see that girls in Surrey are doing well, generally scoring positively across the indicators we used in our research," Russell told Get Surrey.
"However, across England and Wales there are stark variations between different authorities."
The campaign group recommended that the government take urgent action to address the problem, including the establishment of girls' committees, mandatory sex and relationship education, and greater cross-departmental government.
The ten best places for girls
1. Waverley, Surrey
2. Rushcliffe, Nottinghamshire
3. Chiltern, Buckinghamshire
4. Mole Valley, Surrey
5. Epsom and Ewell, Surrey
6. Rutland, East Midlands
7. Elmbridge, Surrey
8. Wokingham, Berkshire
9. St Albans, Hertfordshire
10. East Hertfordshire
The ten worst places for girls
1. Middlesbrough
2. Blackpool
3. Manchester
4. Nottingham
5. Liverpool
6. Knowsley, Merseyside
7. Hastings, East Sussex
8. Kingston upon Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire
9. Salford, Greater Manchester
10. Sandwell, West Midlands
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